Teenager gunned down in Edison

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - A manhunt continues for a murder suspect. Officers from several agencies are on the lookout for a 21-year-old Calhoun County man suspected of gunning down a Blakely teenager in broad daylight.

What happened at the Pure Gas Station in Edison is far from pure. It's a sad sin in Bennie Peterson's eyes.

"I never thought something like this would happen, a man just come up and shoot a man just like that. That's real violence there," said Peterson.

A little after 3:30 p.m., shots rang out at the west end of Highway 37, killing 19-year-old Cyrus Butler. He was left to die on the gas station pavement. "I'm going to keep that there in my mind awhile. That was awful," said Peterson.

Authorities and witnesses say the shooting may stem from an earlier disagreement. "They tell me they got into it somewhere else and the guy went and got a gun and came back and shot him," said Peterson.

After the shooting, officers, deputies and K-9's from all over converged on Calhoun County to search for the shooting suspect 21-year-old Terail Pittman. He ditched a PT Cruiser he was driving in front of a nursing home and took off.

"Search is still ongoing right now," said Calhoun County Sheriff Josh Hilton.

Hilton says they're working hard to catch him, wherever he is. "We're pretty confident. We're going to work all night. We'll be here all night until we get him, whatever it takes," said Hilton.

Every tip they get, they're following. Bennie Peterson has a tip for other young folks thinking of resorting to violence. "Stay out of it. Stay out of violence because it's not going to get you anywhere. I'm 68-years-old and I've never had any violence like that," said Peterson.

But the words are too late for both the victim and the suspect. The victim was taken away from the scene in a hearse. An attempted getaway car was towed away, with authorities confident its driver will soon be in jail.

If you've seen the suspect or have information that could help authorities, call the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office at 849-2555.